After meeting new member Nicola and a mini litter pick around Marston we descended upon the Up in Arms to say farewell and bon voyage to Anwen.

This is the speech that I MEANT to give before I became a blubbering mess......

After 7 years and an amazing 665 good deeds the Queen of Goodgym Oxford is departing for a new European adventure.

The impact that Anwen has had on Oxford cannot be underestimated. She has gathered us to clean food banks, create green spaces, look after community gardens, remove brambles, weed walls, clear litter and even move an organ over a railway bridge.

As I was making my way to the task this evening I passed all the beautiful daffodils that we've planted - a cheerful reminder that Goodgym was here!

We have had many running adventures too - parkruns, races, our View Cones run in memory of our lovely Tim, and marathons in fun places. If Anwen sends you a link to a races and says "fancy it?" you should ALWAYS say yes!!

Anwen you kept us going through Covid (with Trev's help) providing essential food packages and prescriptions for the community and much needed social contact for us too. You have literally supported us through births, deaths and marriages and everything in between.

A thank you should also be said on behalf of the stray and feral cats of Oxfordshire - another example of your capacity to nurture and care.

Oxford's loss is very definitely France's gain and we will miss you. Please raise your glasses to Anwen!!

An indoor task could not have come at a better time!

Sheltering from the persistent rain, this evening we packaged up 49 pairs of running shoes of various shapes and sizes to be sent off the JogOn for re-purposing and recycling.

That's 49 pairs of trainers that won't end up in landfill.

Powered by tea and snacks (is there any other way) a gaggle of us then headed out into the, semi-refreshing, drizzle of a trot and a chat.

After an 11th hour cancellation of our planned task (thanks to the task owner getting a wasp sting to the face) we headed to Marston Forest Garden instead.

The warm spring has had grass, goose grass, michaelmas daisies etc springing up and swamping the fruit trees, so we were on a mission to clear some of that and give the trees and shrubs room to breathe. We carefully worked around goji berries, seabuckthorn, plum trees and more, avoiding the Nepalese raspberries and wild strawberries. An hour made a big difference, so a good alternative task for a sunny evening!

Lovely to have a London visitor in the form of Kash.

Well done for reaching 100 Good Deeds Fred - superstar!

This evening we returned to the Warneford Hospital site to flashmob some of their flower beds.

The flower beds in the aptly named Meadow ward had got quite over-grown and needed a good weed, a food water and some general TLC.

After crowning Ellie for achieving her 100th Good deed and enjoying some Celebrations, we set to work.

Thistles, lots of grass and some pesky dandelions were removed, a wild patch preserved to protect a hedgehog house, and the best Celebration thoroughly debated. I'm team Bounty - possibly in the 1% minority of the population!

Watering cans were emptied and woodchip spread to hopefully ensure that the beds stay happy!

Good work team.

Double points if you can name the musical reference in the title.....,